The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding public meetings to collect comments on a Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft GEIS--see link below) on the extended storage of highly radioactive irradiated fuel rods currently stored at nuclear power reactor sites in Washington DC, and 10 other cities between October 1 and November 14, 2013.

DRAFT Document 1 -- Media Advisory(put out about 2 weeks prior to the meeting -- be sure you contact "Day Books" for your area and send it to the Day Books again 48 hours in advance."

[Letterhead or list of organizations working together]

Date

For Immediate Post

Contact: [include one or more names, phone and email]

Media Advisory

Chicago to have Major Role in U.S. High-Level Radioactive Waste Regulation

Thursday October 24 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Hear Public

What: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has produced a Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for the first time on the extended storage of highly radioactive irradiated fuel rods currently stored at nuclear power reactor sites. The NRC is seeking public comment on the document, and will hold 2 meetings in the Washington DC area and 10 field meetings outside of DC, including [City name]. [City name] is the only location in [region].

When: Thursday October 24, 6 pm Open House; Meeting 7--10 pm [change time if you have your own plan]

Who: Any member of the public, their advocates and representatives [list any VIP or organizations planning to comment] may comment. Both oral and written comments will be accepted.

Why: A federal court ordered the NRC to study the impact of storing high-level radioactive waste ("spent" fuel rods) at reactor sites, including a look specifically at dangers from fuel pools such as those seen at the Fukushima Daiichi Japanese nuclear disaster site. Prior to that the NRC simply asserted that the storage of the waste was no problem, would have no impact and that since federal law mandates a different federal agency, the Department of Energy, to take this most concentrated of all the types of radioactive waste, an impact statement was not needed. The federal court order is historic since it additionally removed the NRC's authority to license expanded production of the waste (new nuclear power reactors, or license renewals). The public is invited to comment on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, particularly any site-specific aspects of waste storage since the document is intended to address every reactor site in the United States, past, present and future.

1 comment:

I'm 64 and a Hanford downwinder. I find it strange that there are no hearings scheduled in Washington State. There are also none in Tennessee and none in New Mexico, two other states with histories of research and development of nuclear power. Why don't they want to listen to us?